How to Convert EPS to Visio Stencil

If you want to prepare a shape or group of shapes that you can use to construct drawings in Microsoft Visio, create a stencil file. Once you create a stencil file you can manipulate the individual shapes within the stencil to create drawings. Although you create these shapes on Visio's drawing page, you can also import files from other design programs. If you're importing a vector file with an EPS extension, you need to complete a few extra steps before incorporating it into a stencil.

Video of the Day

Step

Find the "Insert" option on the navigation bar that runs across the top of your Visio document's window and click on it. A drop-down menu with several options should appear.

Step

Hover your mouse over "Picture" and select "From File" when the next drop-down menu appears.

Step

Find the EPS file you want to import in the dialogue box that pops up and click on the "Open" button to import your file into Visio. It will import as a metafile.

Step

Convert the metafile to eliminate the image's jagged appearance. If your metafile contains multiple shapes, you will convert them to a group. Highlight the imported metafile on the "Shape" side toolbar to select it, then click on the "Shape" menu option on the navigation bar that extends across the top of the visio window. Hover your mouse over "Grouping" and click on "Convert to Group." If you want to convert the contents of you metafile to stand-alone shapes, select "Ungroup" in the final step.

Step

Select "File" from the top navigation bar along the top of the Visio window, hover your mouse over "Stencils" and select "New Stencil" from the drop down menu that appears. You should now have two Visio windows, one with a drawing page that contains your shape or group of shapes, and one with a blank stencil.

Step

Click on the shape or group of shapes you want to make into a stencil and drag the highlighted items into your stencil window.

Step

Select "File" from the navigation bar that runs across the top of your Visio window, and choose "Save As." When the dialogue box pops up, make sure you select either the "Stencil" or "XML Stencil" from the options available in the "Save as type" box. Click on the "Save" button to finish converting the EPS vector file into a Visio stencil.